


Begin Again at the Start

by hotrodngold (Krystalicekitsu)



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen, General Strife, M/M, Melancholy, Not Advent Children Compliant, Not Dirge of Cerberus Compliant, Post-Canon, President Rufus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 19:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2440454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krystalicekitsu/pseuds/hotrodngold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud had long ago inured himself against the mercurial moods of groups of people, but the quick forgiveness granted to ShinRa made something tighten inside him. He still wasn't sure if it was his heart or his gut.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Begin Again at the Start

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing FFVII in half a decade! First time writing fic in nearly a year! Author is a dork!
> 
> Actually, I'm very excited to be working in this fandom again; I so love SOLDIER and ShinRa and AVALANCHE. The whole kit and caboodle. 
> 
> In reality, this could be considered a universe tie-in with a longfic I'm working on. It's tentatively titled _They Keep Killing Suzie_ (I think I might've been drunk when I thought up that title, cause I can't for the life of me remember what it's supposed to be referencing), and is set post-game. I also started writing it before Advent Children, or Before Crisis, or Crisis Core, or Dirge of Cerberus, or _anything_. Yes, that long ago.
> 
> Anyway, short snippet, could technically be considered a prologue, and I might make it one at that.

Cloud tilted the tumbler idly on the table. Index and ring fingers bracketing the glass, middle atop to steady it, playing with the rim as something to do, he thought of nothing. Nothing in particular, anyway.

Just meetings and memos and notices and the subtle nuances of people being people.

His eyes flicked between the play of shadows dancing in the whisky in the glass, and the raindrops sliding down the window.

Not that there were any nuances in people being people. 

Cloud had long ago inured himself against the mercurial moods of groups of people, but the quick forgiveness granted to ShinRa—even if it was accompanied by the heavy bribe of cheap, clean water, sanitation services, and a declaration to cut mako dependence by 40% in the first four years—made something tighten inside him. He still wasn't sure if it was his heart or his gut.

The door to the conference room opened and Cloud took a long drink from the glass between his fingers.

“Sir?”

Cloud set the tumbler down. The insides were dry as ash.

“Present Shinra will see you now, General, sir.”

Heart or gut.

Nevermind.

It was probably both.


End file.
